Gilt or Silver - Question?

[Roy]

Hi Gents,

This may be a basic (possibly embarrassing) question but I will ask it anyway.

See two near identical 53rd (Shropshire) button I have in my collection. Different makers but identical in design. One is gilt finish where the other is silver plate.

What was the reason for the different finish?

Cheers, Roy.

[Cribyn]

Hello Roy

As they are both tunic buttons and date after 1855, long after all regular regiments were ordered to wear gold lace and buttons, they should be gilt (or brass if for other ranks). As there were no 'volunteer' regular regiments of foot, silver numbered tunic buttons like this should not exist.

However, they do turn up from time to time but in nothing like the quantities the gilt/brass numbered buttons are found. The general view is that they were either for the band if in white metal or for senior sergeants if in silver.

I would suggest that what you have is a silver button used by a senior sergeant of the regiment. Very nice and quite rare.

As far as I am aware no one has come up with any official authorisation for these silver buttons, so it seems to have been an unauthorised practice in some regiments only.

If anyone has any other theory I would be interested to hear it.

Regards
Roger

[Roy]

Hello Roger,

Thank you for that very informative reply. The gilt button makes sense as you mention but I was struggling with the identical button in silver for this unit, so your explanation makes a good deal of sense.

May it is one of this anomalies that we will never get a definitive answer for but your thoughts are certainly a good working hypothesis in the meantime.

Many thanks, Roy.